strengthened and set forward to glorifie God in Christ in necessar duties As for the maner and measure to be keeped in the use of things lawfull prudence must be asked of God who will direct us in this as in other Christian duties CHAP. XVI Concerning the converts suspicion that his softness of heart is nothing but a natural disposition to weep upon any occasion VVHen the Lord hath taken away from the sinner a heart of stone and hath given unto him a heart of flesh so that he dar not any more harden himself against the threatnings of Gods Word but doth tremble at the hearing thereof as speaketh Isaiah 66. 2. and in his prayer doth pour forth his heart ordinarily with tears he may as experience hath taught fall in a suspicion of this ordinar or frequent melting of heart as if it were nothing else but a childish or woman-like temper of body and spirit and no evidence of contrition for spiritual causes which the Scripture requireth and commendeth in the penitent 2. In this case there is danger on either hand if the convert be not wary and circumspect in this condition for on the one hand he is in hazard of making light account of the work of God who hath taken from him the heart of stone and given him an heart of flesh On the other hand he is in hazard of laying too much weight on his tears if once he be satisfied about the suspicion he hath of his own tears and made clear that they were proofs and evidences of his sincerity in his prayers to God That there is a danger on either hand experience hath taught for some sincere converts having entertained the suspicion that their tears in prayer proceeded from the soft temper of their natural complexion disposition of spirit have resisted their inclination to mourn and striven against letting forth of tears so far that they have become so dry for a long time and have prayed more perfunctoriously then before that when just causes of grief and tears were given unto them they were not able to bring forth one tear for easing of their grieved heart On the other hand experience hath taught that some looking upon the expressions of the Saints in Scripture concerning their tears have laid so much weight upon their tears as they have numbered in a manner all the drops of their eyes and from the lesse or more quantity of them made reckoning of their own better or worse condition and of Gods acceptation of their prayers lesse or more 3. This tendernesse of heart and easinesse to be moved unto tears for spiritual motives is a rare gift Few they are who with sense of the body of death and original sin bearing them down do lament their natural sinfulnesse in their best condition with Paul Rom. 7. 24. Few shall be found so affectionat to the glory of God and salvation of peoples souls as to pour out tears both in secret and openly for promoving thereof as the Apostle did Act. 20. 19 21. and 2 Cor. 2. 4. Few like Timothy whose heart was so tender that the Apostle could not but observe his tears and remember them 2 Tim. 1. 4. Yet we doubt not that from age to age sundry be who by the grace of God have this constantly melting heart according to the measure of Gods free donation some with tears some without tears And therefore if there be found in such mourners an honest endeavour to walk circumspectly let not the suspicion that their tendernesse is but natural weaknesse of spirit or bodily complexion be entertained Only let the giver of the grace of a tender heart be relyed upon and not their tears as if they were any more then witnesses of their honest affection in spiritual exercises for such prayers may prove sincere and acceptable to God both when they cannot mourn and also when their heart seemeth withered hard and dry CHAP. XVII Concerning the converts suspicion that all his devotion is but lip-labour which is not joyned with a tender and melting heart and with Gods sensible approbation AS some are suspicious of their condition because of their ordinar tendernesse and melting of heart So other some are suspicious of their condition because they find not their heart tender and soft in their devotion All converts do agree in this that God must be worshiped in spirit and truth and that it is not acceptable worship to God if a man draw near him with his lips when his heart is far from him whereupon every convert when he is mindfull of his duty goeth about to worship God with understanding and inward affection of heart to confesse sin deprecat wrath ask of God things necessar interceed for others give thanks to God for his benefits and praise him for his works and working so as his affections may be conform to his expressions and the conscience may approve both his words and his hearty affections and God may with his peace and consolation approve the worshiper But some converts are who albeit in sincerity they worship God yet they count all their devotion to be but lip-labour except they find their affections wakened up and their heart tender and some vigour of spiritual life in their exercises and the sense of Gods approbation of their worship by giving sense of his peace and consolation to them in their worship Hence oft-times doth suspicion arise without just ground that they are deserted of God that he is displeased with them and this suspicion being entertained doth send forth complaints and bringeth on coldrifenesse in prayer and discouragement 2. This unjust suspicion of the grace of prayer the Lord doth oft-times chastise by with-drawing peace and comfort and order in prayer and of words also that he who complained that his devotion was but lip-labour because he sound not such measure of affection as he would have had nor that consolation which he wished to have shall find himself in worse taking after his complaining then he was in at first when he began to suspect his condition It is true that confusion of mind and want of words to expresse the case wherein he is may fall on a convert by reason of afflictions and manifold temptations and yet he may be free from this suspicion of Gods affection and acceptation of his person and prayers as the Apostle doth teach us Rom. 8. 26. Likewayes the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered But when this cutting short of the gift of prayer in any measure doth follow after suspicion of Gods respect and good will toward the complaining and discouraged convert it is a fatherly chastisement from God threatning the convert with a greater measure of desertion and heavier temptation except he repent his folly and return to God whom by his suspicion and misbelief he hath offended 3. For remedy of
private when he finds an indisposition of mind unto it SUndry converts when they perceive the unfitnesse of their spirits to offer immediat worship to God in prayer praises or thanksgiving especially in private do fall in doubt with themselves whether it be better to delay the offer of their worship till they find themselves well disposed for it or to go on as they may albeit they apprehend their lips polluted and their hearts far away from God Their fear on the one hand is lest they should pollute the worship and take Gods name in vain on the other hand they fear lest they fall in the guiltinesse of omitâ—ing a prescribed duty The question shall be what the doubting convert should determine and do 2. For answer this case is spoken unto before 2. Book Chap. 17. in as far as the convert determineth not and doth not what is right but goeth wrong and pleaseth himself in his bad condition But here we speak to this case as the convert is in doubt only and desireth to be keeped from deceiving himself In which case we say that as it is the converts doubt so we must confesse that this case of indisposition and unâ—itnesse for spiritual exercises is very frequent and is ordinarily and oft-times a chastisement of us drawn on by our selves because we do not watch unto prayer we do not study to keep our hearts in the fear of the Lord all the day long we do not foster that tendernesse of conscience which might furnish us mater of humiliation and of thanksgiving to God upon observation of our faults against God and of Gods favours daily and hourly remarkably running toward us Hence it is when our ordinar time of secret worship doth come we find our vaiging minds hardly called home from their wandering our conscience challenging us for our loose and uncircumspect walking our affections dull and dead and all the powers of our souls taken as with a palsie that we cannot bestir our selves in worship as we should and would Therefore in this case let the convert be humbled and confesse his fault and take with this chastisement and â—â—ye unto Christ who heareth and taketh away the iniquity of our pollution of holy things and let him nor defer his worship till another occasion but wrestle against all impediments and follow out the work in hand blessing God for his pointing out unto him his wants and weaknesse his wandering and vanity of mind his slipping and sliding in his wayes and for opening unto him a â—ountain in Christ for washing his pollutions and healing his wounds And that the convert may be encouraged to aim at and follow on this way let him consider that the converts worship may be pleasant and acceptable to God when the convert is much displeased with himself in the discharge of it for there is a worshiping of God in faith without sense and feeling of the hearts inlargement and there is a worshiping of God with felt enlargement of heart The worshiping of God in faith is pleasant unto God albeit the worshiper in perplexity and wrestling with temptations and corruptions be much displeased with himself The worshiping of God with inlargement of heart is pleasant both unto God and to the worshiper also as Ps. 119. 32. David gives us to understand I will run the way of thy Commandments saith he when thou shalt enlarge my heart But when this inlargement by sensible assistance of the holy Ghost is not perceived the Psalmist is but a dead man in his own estimation yet he doth not forbear or delay to worship God as well in bonds as in freedom Quicken me saith he according to thy loving kindnesse Therefore let the convert in this case 1. follow the example of the Psalmist who Ps. 5. 3. resolveth to call on God with his voice that is to follow the work of prayer externally pre-suppose his spiritual powers were bound up and he unable to back his peâ—itions with suteable affections My voice saith he shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up And Ps. 27. 7. Hear me when I cry with my voice have mercy also upon me and answer me 2. For his incouragement in this case to go on in his worship let him confesse unto God the truth as it is presenâ—ed unto him by his conscience and say O Lord my God these are my sins which I ought to acknowledge before thee with tears which for the present are dryed up c. These are thy favours and benefits wherewith I am loadenâ—d which I should acknowledge with joy and sense of thy goodnesse c. but thou Lord delights in truth in the inward parts Ps. 51. 8. This will be found our reasonable service which the Apostle calleth for Rom. 12. 1 2. The eight question is how to satisfie the convert doubting what is the sin which God pursueth by long-lasting affliction IT falleth forth oft-times when a true convert being a long time pressed under some lasting crosse or calamity doth inquire after the special causes of his affliction and when he cannot be clear what to determine doth doubt what to think of his condition for he acknowledgeth his sins common to him and other converts to be innummerable but apprehendeth that it is some special sin pursued by God which is the cause of his affliction which because he cannot condescend upon he is at a stand and doubteth what to think or do 2. For answer we say 1. such a case is more troublesom then dangerous for so long as he is observing his sins common to him and other converts and in the exercise of repentance is daily humbled before God for his known sins he must not be anxious albeit he know not the particular sin pursued as he apprehendeth for albeit the Lord afflict no man but such as have sin in them yet he doth not alwayes in afflicting of his children pursue unknown sin in them For sometime he afflicteth his child to preveen his sinning hedging up his way with thornes lest he should follow after beloved lusts Sometime he doth afflict him to try his faith to teach him patience meeknesse temperance and other virtues such as are dying to the world seeking after things spiritual compassion toward others in affliction 2. When the afflicted hath composed his mind to reverence Gods dispensation whatsoever it is or shall be then let him yet again look upon his affliction and it may be he shall read in the rod what is the Lords quarrel 3. Whether he shall find the special cause of his affliction or not let him turn all his indignation zeal and hatred against the body of death the bitter root and bulk of actual sins and watch diligently over the motions of original sin or concupiscence in himself 4. And let his whole exercise stir him up to have Christ in greater estimation to make use of Christs righteousnesse imputed to believers and
THERAPEUTICA SACRA Shewing briefly The method of healing the diseases of the Conscience concerning REGENERATION Written first in Latine BY DAVID DICKSON Professor of DIVINITY in the Colledge of Edinburgh And thereafter Translated by him Matth. 9. 12. They that be whole need not a Physician but they that are sick EDINBVRGH Printed by Evan Tyler Printer to the King 's most Excellent Majesty 1664. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE AND VERY NOBLE The COUNTESSE Dowager of GLENCAIRN MADAM AFter the Author had written and published this Treatise in Latine for the use of young Students in Theology by the earnest and frequent entreaty of friends he was induced and perswaded to translate it into our vulgar Tongue for the benefit of these who understood not the Latine and for preventing the labour of others who more forward then skilfull were about the doing of it and had once so far proceeded as to offer it to the Press without acquainting him therewith When he had finished the Translation his purpose was to have dedicated it to your Ladyship and to have sent it abroad into the world under your protection but weakness and sickness the ordinary companions of age and after them death whereby God Almighty and Gracious called him from his labours to enter into his Master's joy seasing upon him before he could write an Epistle Dedicatory it was his will that your honourable Name should be prefixed unto it In pursuance whereof it comes now as an Orphan to kiss your noble Hands fraughted with hopes of favour and shelter for the Parent 's sake and of acceptance as a testimony of the sincerity of the respects he carried to your Ladyships vertues It hath the stronger plea for a tender reception that it is the child of his age being his last labour and being brought forth in his seventy and second year and that it comes arrayed in a sute of Country-cloath which himself put upon it being published according to the Copy written with his own hand That it may be as it was designed by him usefull for the good of souls and that God may comfort you under your present sad affliction and make up the loss of your noble Husband the late Lord high Chancellour of Scotland is the prayer of MADAM Your Ladyships most humbly devoted Servant Alexander Dickson Edinburgâ— 13. Iune 1664. THERAPEUTICA SACRA Translated by the Author Shewing shortly The method of healing the diseases of the Conscience concerning Regeneration CHAP. I. Of Conscience in general SEing our purpose is to speak of the curing of sundry ordinary cases or diseases concerning Regeneration by a prudent application and use-making of divine Covenants made about and with man for his coming to eternal life it is needfull to speak in the entry a little first of the nature of the Conscience and use thereof in general next of the cases of the conscience in general thirdly what Regeneration is and who is the man regenerat fourthly of divine Covenants relating to everlasting happiness and fifthly of the orderly and prudent application of these Covenants in general that thereafter we may descend to speak of application thereof in particular Cases the more clearly 2. As to the first what conscience is It hath pleased God the soveraign Lord and Judge of all men in the Creation to put in mans soul a natural power or faculty whereby he might not only understand the revealed will of God the only Lord of and Law-giver to the Conscience not only concerning what he should believe and perform but also might judge of his own faith and obedience whether performed or not performed yea and might judge also of the faith and obedience of others in so far as evidences may be had of their conformity unto or dis-agreement from the revealed rule of faith and maners This power of the soul of man whether it be considered only in its natural aptitude and fitness to judge though not as yet or for the time actually judging or whether it be looked upon as it is putting forth it self in exercise we call it by the name of Conscience 3. The word Conscience is divers wayes taken for sometime by it is meaned the natural power of the mind to judge both of our own and others conformity to the rule and in this larger acception we say Every man hath a Conscience that is every man whether male or female whether old or young whether sleeping or waking hath a faculty which may and sometime shall judge of their own and others behaviour towards God Sometime it is taken for that natural power of the mind putting forth it self actually in exercise by judging of others So doth the Apostle take it 2 Cor. 5 11. I trust saith he we are made manifest in your consciences But here in this Treatise we take Conscience more strictly as it examineth and judgeth of our selves for in this sense it is most properly called Conscience or joint knowledge partly because it supposeth that God and we know our obedience or disobedience to the rule prescribed to us by Him partly because Conscience imports first our knowledge of the rule and next our knowledge of our behaviour in relation to the rule and our comparing of these two together and passing of sentence of our selves answerably 4. Conscience as it doth respect our selves is no other thing in effect then the understanding power of our souls examining how maters do stand betwixt God and us comparing His will revealed with our state condition and carriage in thoughts words or deeds done or omitted and passing judâ—ment thereupon as the case requires So that in the court of Conscience which is Gods Depute in us as it were these five things are to be considered 1. the duty of self-examination 2. the thing we are to examine 3. the rule whereby we are to examine 4. the process of the Conscience unto sentence giving and 5. the execution of the sentence so far as the Conscience may 5. As to the first the duty of examination of our selves and juâ—ging our selves it is required of us lest we be judged of God and chastised with sharp rods 1 Cor. 11. 31. 32. and hereunto we are exhorted Ps. 4. 4 Commune with your own hearts upon your beds and be still 6. As for the second the thing which we are to examine concerning our selves it is one of three or all the three in their order to wit either our estate whether we be in the state of nature under wrath or not or whether we be regenerat and in the state of grace through faith in Jesus Christ or not Of this speaketh the Apostle 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whether ye be in the faith Or it is our condition whether being in the state of grace our present disposition or inclination of heart and affections be such as becometh a man reconciled or not To this point of examination Christ doth call the Angel of the Church of Ephesus Rev. 2. 5. Remember therefore
and tell us that the visible Church is a society of Saints or regenerat persons and that they who live in the visible Church must be visible Saints whole liâ—e at least doth not contradict their profession and such as by the judgement of charity we must esteem regenerat Ans. Christs visible Church is the company of them that are called out of the world unto him the company of them that are consecrat to God and engaged by solemn covenant to follow the course of holinesse By â—â—lling they are Saints albeit many of them may be â—ound polluted in their maners thus doth God Himself reach us to judge Psal. 50. 5. Gather unto me my saints saith He and who are these These who have made a coâ—â—nant with me by sacrifice Now of these many did not worship God in spirit but placed all their religion in ceremonies and went about by their outward sacrifices to pacifie God and to expiat their sins as is plain vers 7. 8. others of these called saints consecrat unto God and joyned with him in a visible covenant were very wicked who no wayes behaved themselves as became covenanters with God and who therefore were to be excluded from the benefit of the covenant except they repented for they hated true holinesse and did cast the commands behind their back vers 16. were thieves and adulterers slanderers and calumniatours of their brethren vers 18 19. and yet for all this the Lord doth not exclude them out of the visible Church but doth in a fatherly maner reprove them that they might repent and not perish 2. There is no question whether all in the visible Church ought to be both in open conversation and in heart holy and that they shall certainly be damned and perish that are not such but the question is here about the duty of the Governours of the Church and of the godly in it whether they should exclude from Church-membership all who are not regenerat at least so to be esteemed in the judgement of charity or whether all are to be holden for Church-members and keeped within the Church who are in covenant with God and sealed with the seal thereof to the intent that by doctrine and censures of the Church so far as may be by means they may be regenerat and being regenerat be helped on in the way of holinesse 3. There is a difference to be put betwixt the precepts concerning the personall sanctification of every man in himself and the precepts given for the governing of others and keeping holy society with the called saints renewed or unrenewed in the visible Church so far as Gods word giveth light and order for it is commanded to me and thee that we pursue peace and holiness without which none shall see the face of God but it is not commanded to me or thee that we should keep no Church-fellowship in God's ordinances except with the regenerat It is not commanded to the Governours of the Church that they must examine every person concerning their regeneration neither are they forbidden to adâ—â—t any into the society of the Church save these whom they esteem regenerat But they are commanded to bring in to the Church all that oblige themselves to be Christs disciples with their children and by the means appointed of God in doctrine and censures of the Church to promove their sanctification and salvation for so many doth Christs commission to the Pastors of the Church import Math. 28. 19 20. 4. Regeneration is not the just measure whereby to square the dimensions and extent of the visible Church but confederation and obsignation of the Covenant by baptisme For the Church is Christs visible kingdom whose visible subjects are all they who solemnly are ingaged to subject themselves to his doctrine and government and therefore the Church visible is not to be defined the company of the regenerat but the company of the confederat with God and called unto holiness among whom Christ tells us there are few elect and so fewer regenerat and therefore the Church of Christ is compared to a barn-floor whereinto is gathered both the chaff and the wheat both they that have faith and they that profess faith out of whom Christ doth gather his own Elect and redeemed ones Obj. But at least in gathering of a Church out of the world respect must be had that the consenting of the covenanter be serious and how can the consent be serious where the heart is not sincere where the person is not regenerat Such a mans consent to the covenant as is without saving faith is but fained counterfeit hypocritical and such a consent as may hinder the mans regeneration and do nothing but provoke Gods wrath against the man and the receivers or admitters of him also Ans. Serious is sometime opposed to sport or play and so a mater may be serious which is in earnest gone about and is not openly histrionical And sometime serious is opposed to the intention of fraud and deceit and so that may be called serious which is done without a purpose to deceive or beguile the party But when the consenter to ingage in covenant speaketh as he thinketh albeit possibly his own heart deceive him his consent to the condition of the covenant may justly be called serious because he intends to deal in earnest as in a weighty business And such was the consent of the people of Israel unto the covenant made with God Exod. 19. Likewise counterfeit and hypocritical is sometime called so in opposition to that which is reall true and spiritual And so all consent to the covenant of Grace which doth not proceed from the spirit of Regeneration is but fained faith and indeed is not saving faith yet it may be serious and morally honest like Israels Exod. 14. 20. and so sufficient to make a covenant and to tye an obligation on the man to such duties as may lead to salvation Again fained connterfeit hypocritical is called that which a man purposely doth fain making shew of that which he knows not to be being conscious to his own wickedness and such a fained consent we grant doth provoke God against such a person but the Church is not judge of this so long as they know not of this gross hypocrisie We hold then that there may be and usually fall forth such a morall consent unto the covenant of Grace without saving faith which may be called a serious really honest consent as to the agreement of the mind and mouth of the covenanter such as is found in ordinary civil contracts between one man and another and must be acknowledged to be an external Church-covenanting with God and with the rest of the members of the Church and so the consent in respect to the making a covenant is not fained neither is it displeasing unto God in the own kind albeit it be not sufficient or acceptable to God unto the persons salvation For so much doth God himself testifie Deut. 5. speaking
any man the Lord hath given no certain mark as long as they live except that malicious and wilfull rejecting and opposing of known Christ Jesus to the intent that none should dare to exclude either themselves or others from repentance and hope of mercy so long as the day of Gods long-suffering and patience doth last This is collected from this that God doth not make mention of the reprobation of these misbelieving fathers while they are living but now long after they are dead and this mention making of them is in general only and not by nameing them particularly 17. Albeit in the dispensation of the covenant of grace for application of saving mercies the mater be so wisely carryed by God that both the decree and covenant of Redemption is keeped closs as to particular names and yet it is effectually made out in the applying of grace to individuall persons as the agreement is made between God and Christ Mediatour yet the covenant of Redemption is made this far clear that it did not passe for the conversion and salvation of all and every man by this evidence that not so much as the offer of the covenant of grace and reconciliation shall be made to all and every nation far lâ—sse to all and every singular person but that the people and nation of Israel and Iudah is chosen out of all people and nations in the world comprehending such others as should be called unto their society and the fellowship of the olive tree among them as Psal. 147. 19 20. holdeth forth And in this place the whole elect under the Gospel are taken up under the name of this one nation 18. That the decree of election of some may both be keeped up as to particular nomination and yet have certain execution and be performed the Lord taketh up all his confederats whether in the letter or spirit also under the same common name This is gathered from this that the misbelieving Israelits that perished in the desart with whom God made a covenant and they did break it are designed under the common name of fathers and are taken up in that covenant under the name of spouse Ier. 31. 32. and the elect posterity are taken up under the common name of the house of Israel and Iudah 19. Such as the covenanters are in regard of their inward estate such is the covenant wherein they really are or such is the covenant in relation to their persons Unto the reprobat who do change for their part the covenant of grace into the covenant of works the covenant of grace becometh in effect the covenant of works and is rendered void to them as the Apostle doth threaten the Galatians Gal. 5. 4. and as did befall the pharisaicall fathers who are here declared as instances but the covenant of grace unto the elect and true believers remains still the covenant of grace from which they do not fall nor can altogether fall as the comparison here between the fathers in the wildernesse and their elect posterity maketh evident 20. The Lord hath wisely joyned life with the means and way to life and death with the way to death and will not have that separated which he hath joyned This is collected from this that the fathers by not continuing in the covenant are despised and rejected of God and so perished but their elect posterity having the law of God in their hearts and cleaving constantly unto the Lord are saved 21. The Lord will have this doctrine taught where His word is preached concerning the election of some and reprobation of other some of Gods covenanting with some people and persons and not offering a covenant to other some of covenanting with some in the letter and with other some in the spirit also to this end and intent that men leaving the searching in particular of that which God hath keeped secret in the particular may follow commanded duties repent their sins and flee to Christ offered unto them and take up his yoke upon them and beware that they neither despair nor yet presume or turn the grace of God into wantonnesse This we gather from this that God sendeth forth Ieremiah to preach these things not only to the visible Church of the Jews going into exile and captivity but also to all who shall hear this doctrine from him to the end of the world And the Apostle repeating this doctrine for the use of the Christian Church of Jews and Gentiles doth confirm this CHAP. VIII Of the prudent application of divine covenants in general HAving spoken of these three divine covenants concerning mens salvation it follows now to speak of the application thereof first in generall and then more specially In the mater of application we must first look upon Gods effectuall applying and working in the hearers of these covenants such effects as he hath intended by these covenants to bring to passe Next we must look upon the means whereby he ordinarly doth convey and work his intended works in men And thirdly we must look upon the prudent way of use making of these means both by Pastors and people for peoples good 2. As to the first the Lords effectuall application is a reall and actuall bestowing the good of these covenants upon his own by way of powerfull working on their spirits Such as are 1. the giving the grace of understanding of the Scripture And 2. the belief of what is understood And 3. the application of the doctrine of the law concerning mens sin and misery to their own conscience And 4. the making them judge themselves according to the law And 5. the raising of sorrow in their hearts and fear of wrath And 6. the setting of their eye upon Christ for delivery from sin and death And 7. the makeing them perceive a possibility and probability that they may be saved And 8. to have an earnest desire after reconciliation with God in Christ And 9. the making of his own to cast themselves over on Christ and to believe on him And 10. the making them to consecrat themselves to God in Christ reconciling the world of meer grace to himself not imputing transgression to the reconciled through Christ And 11. the making them to wonder at the riches of the free grace of God who in a self-condemned sinner desirous to be reconciled with him requireth no personall dignity no good work which may commend him to God but only that he would receive and welcome Christ offered in the Gospel as the only necessary and sufficient remedy against all sin and misery requiring no other condition but that he flee from the curse of the law and the wrath to come unto Christ the Redeemer who offereth himself unto lost sinners in the preaching of the Gospel that through him the beleiver may be justified and sanctified and saved for ever And 12. after wondering raised in the hearts of his children the making them cleave closly to Christ and to strive against all temptations which
2 Cor. 13. 5. except they would chuse to be judged of God without mercy But seing here we speak to Pastors or to such as aim at the holy Ministry we need not insist but with the Apostle 2 Tim. 2. 17. pray the Lord to give his servants wisdom and prudence in all things For removing the sixth impediment THe sixth impediment is a lazy and sluggish putting off of the duty of self-examination from time to time And many are guilty of this sinfull solly who will grant that it is a duty lying on them to set their conscience on work for tryal of their state or condition but like ill debtors who promising to pay as oft as they meet with their creditors do notwithstanding put off time and delay the work from day to day Such mens disposition in spiritual things is well resembled in the description of the sluggard Prov. 6. 10. How long wilt thou sleep O sluggard when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep Yet a little sleep a little slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep So shall thy poverty come as one that travaileth and thy want as an armed man And Prov. 26. 14 15 16. As the door turneth upon his hinges so doth the slothfull man upon his bed The slothfull hideth his hand in his bosom it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit then seven men that can render a reason Such are our lazy dâ—layers of examination of whom we speak they cannot endure to be at pains to search their wayes or commune with their heart But so long as God suffereth their conscience to sleep so long they put off the duty of searching themselves and lye still in security esteeming it a torture to have their sluggish sleeping any way interrupted by any person 2. Of this evil disease five causes may be given The first is the abhorring of all pains in spiritual duties how profitable so ever diligence might prove The second cause is the bewitching sense of sweetness they conceive they feel in this their idle carriage The third is the deceit of the sluggards heart still promising to follow his purpose of amendment of life from day to day and yet albeit deceived a thousand times he doth give credit to his own false heart The fourth is a false opinion which the sluggard entertains of his own spiritual abilities as if he were sure he could repent at any time and that if any sickness or appearance of death should befall him he would then undoubtedly make his reckening with God and crave pardon and so be saved and in such pleasant dreams he counteth himself a much wiser man then many who do put themselves to daily toiling and vexation by keeping their conscience on the rack-stock when with less misery they might follow his sluggish way of it The fifth but sinlesse cause is the Lords lengthening of prosperity to the sluggard which although it should lead him to repentance yet he becomes hereby more and more drunken and â—ulleth himself over in a deeper sleep 3. This sickness is not easily cured except the Lord take up a rod and rouse the sluggard out of his sleep But as for the Pastors part he shall do well in private if the sluggard confesse his fault and howsoever to set an edge on the law in publick that all such sluggards may apprehend the real danger their soul is into by delaying their repentance because the indurance of this brittle and frail life is most uncertain for the fool knoweth not whether the very next following night after admonition is given to him his soul shall be taken from him Secondly he must know that the longer he delay the number of his sins and the hardnesse of his heart and the wrath of God against him do daily grow to a higher measure Let the sluggard then be convinced of his madnesse if he shall delay for an hour by acknowledgment of his sin and flying to Christ to vomit up the deadly poyson of his sweetest sins and to have the hot burning wrath of God against him extinguished Thirdly let the deceits wherewith he beguileth himself be laid open and refuted and an offer be made unto him whether he will chuse that his conscience be tormented for ever in the society of unclean devils after a short while sleep in sin in this life rather then while he hath time while Christ offereth himself Mediator in his Gospel while he may have the sweet fellowship of the Saints he will chuse to put his conscience to it and acknowledge his sins and flye to Christ that he may have peace with God and so be saved for ever For removing the seventh impediment THe seventh impediment of self-examination is the too earnest care for earthly things and the mans involving himself in the affairs of this life for there are many who do not refuse the duty of trying their own spiritual state and condition who notwithstanding of this conviction of their duty do spend all their time in the businesses of this world wherein they are so involved and carried head-long that they passe perfunctoriously all exercises of religion and do neither wait for the direction of Gods Word or of their own conscience about what they have to do nor call themselves to account for what is past done or not done Of this sort arâ— these of whom Christ doth speak Luke 14. 18. who being invited to a free supper answered some of them I have bought land another I have married a wife another I have bought a yoke of oxen c. and so sought to be excused for their not coming to the marriage all pretending their earthly affairs as a just reason of their slipping of the invitation given them Of this sort of men speaketh Christ Math. 13. 22. He that received seed among the thornes is he that heareth the Word and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches chock the word and he becometh unfruitfull This sort of men are complained of Ier. 8. 6. I hearkened and beard but they spoke not aright no man repented him of his wickedness saying what have I done Every one turned to his course as the horse rusheth into the battel 2. Of this evil four causes among others may be given first inordinat concupiscence of earthly things which eateth up all the time and travell which the love of things spiritual doth call for and as it were spurreth the man to the immoderat pursuing of things temporal The second cause is the beguiling of the conscience under the pretense of seeking what is lawfull and necessary for a mans well-being in this life as if a mans spending of his care and pains and time in earthly business in it self lawfull were sufficient excuse for neglecting things spiritual and heavenly or as if it were not required of all men that hear the Word of God pointing out the way of mens salvation to prefer that one
to prove a man to be regenerat but he must be proven also a true believer in Christ a man reconciled to God a man justified and an adopted child 2. It is necessary therefore for proving a man to be regenerat to know the right description of the regenerat man which is given by the Apostle Phil. 3. 3. We are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Iesus Christ and have no confidence in the flesh Wherein the Apostle holdeth forth the truly regenerat circumcised in heart 1. He is not sinlesse but so sensible of his sinfulnesse as he hath no confidence in himself nor any thing else in himself 2. He is not free of accusations or tentations and doubts but he flyeth to Christ for righteousnesse 3. He is not an idle and unfruitfull branch but a worshiper of God in spirit and truth 1. He is burdened with sin 2. He cometh to Christ for relief 3. He puts on Christs yoke Math. 11. 28 29. If a man have these three properties joyntly in him he is a regenerae man and may defend his interest in the state of grace and right to righteousnesse and eternall life through Jesus Christ. 3. Divine operations and saving graces which accompany salvation such as are faith repentance unto life hope Christian love to God and men for Gods cause effectual vocation justification reconciliation adoption go together in time by Gods gift but one of them goeth before another in order of nature for effectual calling goeth before faith and faith goeth before hope and before charity or love Again these graces which are given to the redeemed child of God joyntly in respect of time do not shew themselves in their evidence alike soon in time nor do they equally manifest themselves when they do appear in time And so the evidences of repentance may be discerned in not a few converts before faith in Christ do shew it self in them clearly So also love to God and his Saints oft-times may be discerned in a regenerat man before he himself dare affirm any thing of his faith in Christ. 4. Albeit there be many regenerat persons who for the present time cannot perceive in themselves any undoubted signs of their conversion yet it is certain also that there be many who to their own unspeakable comfort are assured of their regeneration and that they are translated from death to life and that they have received the spirit of adoption and earnest of eternal life as is pointed out in the experience of the Ephesians chap. 1. 14. And this is certain also that all who are fled to Christ for refuge should by all means labour to make their calling and election clear and certain to themselves 2 Pet. 1. 10. And to this purpose we are commanded to examine our selves and try whether we be in the faith or not whether Christ by his Spirit be in us or not 2 Cor. 13. 5. for otherwise except a convert know certainly the blessednesse of his own state and that he standeth in grace and favour with God it is not possible for him to give hearty thanks to God for the change of his state from being an enemy to be made a reconciled subject and child of God It is not possible for him to rejoyce in the Lord or set chearfully himself to serve God or comfortably call on God as a father to him in Christ Wherefore all who in the sense of their sins and fear of deserved wrath are fled for refuge unto Christ should deal by prayer earnestly with God that he would graciously grant unto them his Spirit by whose operation in them they may know the saving graces which he hath freely bestowed upon them of which gift of the holy Spirit the Apostle doth speak 1 Cor. 2. 12. 5. The knowledge of a mans own regeneration hath many degrees of clearnesse and assurance by reason of the variety of conditions wherein a man truly converted may be For many doubts may arise in the man regenerat which may darken his sight and hinder the assurance of saving grace granted unto him whereof sundry causes may be found and in special these four among others 1. In a man illuminat and renewed by the holy Spirit there remains a great deal of ignorance much doubting mixed with faith by reason of unskilfulnesse of the convert to examine and discern this blessed change made in him where through that cometh to passe in many young converts which will be seen in infants who have a soul indeed but do not know or perceive that they have a soul till they come to some years of discretion yea many sound Christians are oft-times at a stand about their regeneration and know not what to make of their faith or repentance especially when they feel the power of the body of death the strength of natural corruption in themselves and great indisposition for any spiritual exercise they are forced with the Apostle to cry miserable man that I am who shall deliver me Rom. 7. 24. mean time for weaknesse of their faith they are not able at the first to wrestle against discouragment and to come up unto the Apostles thanking God through Christ. 2. By the tentation of Sathan oft-times the perswasion of holy men is darkened so as they cannot see the evidences of their own regeneration clearly for Sathan sets himself to vex the Saints who are delivered from his kingdom and bonds whom albeit he know that he cannot destroy them yet he will not cease to trouble them that at least he may make them some way unfit for Gods service and marr their cheerfulness in his service and because he feareth harm from them unto his kingdom by their dealing with the unconverted to repent their sins and to turn unto God therefore he finds them work at home in their own bosome and puts them to defend themselves and to forbear to invade his subjects till they be setled themselves 3. Oft-times the Lord is offended by the sins of the regenerat and specially by their grosse transgressions for which his Spirit being grieved doth for a time cease from comforting them and doth not bear witnesse with their spirits that they are the children of God as he hath formerly used to do 4. Oft-times the Lord by suffering doubts to arise in their hearts useth to try and exercise the faith of his children and thereby to stir them up to the pursuing of the duties of piety and righteousnesse more vigorously and sincerely that after victory obtained over these tentations they may be more confirmed in their faith and more diligent in his obedience 6. It may come to passe that while the true convert doth most doubt of his own regeneration that the work of Gods special grace may be observed in him and clearly seen by others more experienced in the wayes of God and indued with the spirit of discretion The reason whereof is because howsoever the weak convert and child of light walking
faith and to follow hard after the growth of sanctification without which no man shall see the face of God and let us so extoll the covenant of Grace and freedom of the believer from the covenant of Works that we neglect not to keep up the authority of the moral Law and the commands thereof as the perpetual rule of new obedience the use whereof is very profitable in the whole course of a Christian life to hold forth the duty of believers in Christ and to shew unto them by their short-coming in duties the poyson and power of corruption remaining in the Saints and to make them sensible of the necessity of flying daily to that imputed righteousnesse by faith in Christ and of drawing strength from Christ to bring forth more aboundant fruits whereby Christ shall be more and more precious in our eyes and be acknowledged absolutely necessar for our justification sanctification and salvation 15. When question is made concerning Christian vertues and operations of the holy Spirit in us the order of Gods working held forth to us in Scripture is carefully to be marked by us which is that sense of sin should go before faith in Christ for the Law is a pedagogue to Christ for he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Matth. 9. 13. And faith in Christ goeth before the fruits of faith and the fruits of faith before the sensible approbation of them and approbation of the fruits by Scripture goeth before the sensible fealing of the believer and the quieting of the conscience in its approbation of what the Scripture approveth for after we have believed we come to be sealed Ephes. 1. 13. Now for the not observing this order many real Christians do make unto themselves a very un-comfortable life for albeit they be convinced of sin and humbled in the sense of their own inability to help themselves and are fled to Christ for pardon and help and do lead a life blamelesse yet do they unhappily suspend the acknowledging of the work of faith bestowed upon them and do disquiet themselves so as they cannot rest on Christ but do quarrel the reality of their faith till they shall feel and perceive with approbation of their conscience such and such fruits of faith in themselves and that in such a measure as they have fore-imagined to be the necessar evidences of faith yea and they refuse to account themselves persons justified because they cannot perceive such mature fruits in themselves as they conceive must not only be but be acknowledged also to be in the justified person before he can lay hold on justification Such persons do in effect invert the order which they should observe for when it were their part to flye unto Christ the only Mediator because they come short of new obedience and because they are loaden with sin that in him they might have God reconciled to them and by his Spirit pouring in of his grace in their souls to make them more holy they take another and contrary course by suspending their faith upon their works and do exact of themselves works before faith and so do weaken their own faith and hinder it to bring forth such fruits as they do require It is reason indeed to prove our faith by our works and it is just that such a faith be accounted dead which is not accompanied with the purpose and endeavour to live holily justly and soberly But it is against all reason and equity to condemn weak faith accompanied with the purpose of a new life as if it were no faith because it hath not as yet brought forth so fair and fully ripe fruits as the weak believer would It were their wisdom when they perceive such impotency to do what is good and such strength of the body of death in them to flye unto the Redeemer so much the more and in him to seek remission of sin and strength to bring forth good fruits and to be sucking juice and sap out of him as the true Vine for if we come to him and abide in him we shall bring forth much fruit Iob. 15. 4 5. For faith in Christ in order of nature goeth before good works for only they who come to Christ and abide in him do bring forth aboundant fruit and not they who upon the apprehension of their want of fruits do loose or slacken their grip of faith and upon discouragment are ready to depart from the living God 16. The like wisdom is required in dealing with the consciences of men concerning the preparatory dispositions of such as may confidently come unto Christ to be justified sanctified and saved for albeit it be true that all that come to Christ ought to come in the sense of their sin and acknowledgment of wrath and death deserved for their sins ought to come with contrition of heart with godly sorrow for their sins and a humble renunciation of all confidence in themselves yet must not such persons as do not satisfie themselves in the measure or sincerity of such preparatory dispositions in themselves be keeped back or debarred from coming to Christ because they not only want as they conceive both the humiliation and sorrow of heart for sin and fear of wrath required in such as have accesse unto Christ but also do perceive in themselves such blindnesse of mind and vanity thereof such stupidity of conscience and stubbornesse of a proud heart as is not fit as they conceive to be received by Christ or fit to be comforted by him such persons I say are not to be forthwith debarred from coming to the throne of grace for oft-times sincerity of conviction compunction and humiliation is to be found in such as are displeased with their own short-coming in such preparatory dispositions more then in many others who make a fairer shew and profession of their godly sorrow and humiliation and are well pleased with themselves in that respect We must be wary also while we require sorrow and humiliation and other like preparatory dispositions in them who may come unto Christ least we secretly import and insinuat a sort of merit to be in such dispositions so as if he that doth not perceive himself thus qualified could expect no good at Christs hands except he have in his hand such preparatory dispositions as if it were a price of purchasing adresse to Christ. But let us hold this fast that the more poor and empty a man be in his own eyes he ought to draw the more near unto the riches of grace in Christ because in him only are to be found all the treasures of every saving grace and preparatory dispositions for receiving thereof he is that exalted Prince who giveth repentance unto Israel Act. 5. 31. he is the author and finisher of faith unto whom all they who in the sense of their want of repentance and faith do sigh in themselves ought and safely may come that they may have from him a more ample
measure of faith and repentance Neither need we in this case be feared least any such person go or be sent too soon unto Christ and that the teacher of this doctrine be found to foster presumption and to offer untimous consolation for it is one thing to direct a man to go to Christ for supply of whatsoever good is wanting in him and another thing to warrand a secure sinner to lay hold on the consolations of the Gospel which God hath reserved in his own hand to be dispensed in due time and order to the truly humble penitent The Lord knoweth how to deal with such as come unto him he can hold an unhumbled supplicant praying and knocking at heavens door without giving him a comfortable answer untill he be humbled and so prepare him by humiliation for consolation in due time True it is that many draw near to Christ with their lips while their hearts are far away and remain senslesse of their evil estate and condition and are far from the earnest desire of the remedy which is to be had in Christ and therefore it is not without cause that Pastors in their sermons require the sight and sense of sin and hunger and thirst for righteousnesse in them who come to Christ and desire to profit by their coming to him for albeit it be free to God without antecedent preparatory exercises to fall in upon mans heart suddainly and at one sermon both convince him of sin and lead him in to Christ as he hath sometime dealt with a multitude when Peter was preaching Act. 2. yet it is not free for men to neglect their duties when they are advertised that the order of Gods working ordinarily is to take a time for information of their mind concerning their natural misery and his gracious way of delivery and for a time to work on their hearts by the law before he give them the felt fruits of the Gospel Mean time this must be remembred that no man displeased with his disposition as not fitted for mercy and who doth regrate that he is a stupid sinner and so hard-hearted that he cannot repent should be keeped off and debarred from going to Christ till he discern in himself the contrition and humiliation of heart which he would have for this were as much as to say in effect that before a sinner may go to Christ he must seek not from Christ but out of his own strength and abilities to work up his own heart to the sense of sin and humiliation of heart and other such like dispositions as ordinarily go before the act and discerning of saving faith for if even Simon Magus discovered and found out to be in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity was exhorted to pray that God would forgive his sins and remove the perversenesse of his heart and save him from deserved wrath Act. 8. 22. How much more are they to be encouraged to go to Christ for relief from these evils which they feel and fear in whom not only this gall of bitternesse doth not appear but also some appearances may be marked by wise beholders of a begun work of grace in them albeit the man himself cannot perceive so much for the time 17. Seing it is certain that God doth prevein by grace every converted mans actions before the man do actually turn himself to God and that the Lord useth to open the eyes of the man whom he is converting to see such and such evils in himself before these evils be taken away and seing it is Gods usual way by preventing to give some measure of the good to be prayed for that the man may pray for more good upon the receit of some measure of that good already bestowed therefore all they who desire to approach to Christ must be taught to make observe and take notice of the least degree of good bestowed upon them of the smallest beginnings of illumination of the meanest degrees of conviction for sin of the least measure of estimation of Christ and his grace wrought already in themselves and to thank the Lord for so much eye-salve as hath opened their eyes to discern their own blindnesse and misery and Christ to be the remedy of all the evils they do see and after they have marked what is bestowed already on them and have blâ—ssed God for the gift they must be exhorted to request the Lord to make out and perfect the begun mercy that they may be sure of their own real conversion for so doth the new convert pray Ier. 31. 18. Convert me and I shall be converted and the humble soul Cant. 1. 4. draw me after thee and we will run after thee And this we speak not as if any unconverted man could in the sense of his sin and misery sincerely and heartily seek after Christ or for more grace from him But because some that are converted do not perceive that they are converted we frame our speech to their estimation of themselves that they may be edified who are brought unto Christ by the draught of effectual calling and have not as yet received the gift of the Spirit to perceive these things which are freely bestowed upon them 1 Cor. 2. 12. 18. As it useth to be in the sicknesse of the body So it falleth out in the sicknesses of the conscience that as there are some sicknesses simple and other some complicat when moe sicknesses concur together So in the conscience there are some simple some complicat ill cases Simple and single cases of conscience are these wherein the diseased soul is troubled with one doubt only for the present as for example when the party afflicted is doubtfull only of the will of God toward him and not of his power such was the case of the Leper Matth. 8. 2. Thou canst make me clean if thou wilt Complicat and involved cases are when many evils concur together and the conscience is troubled with many doubts In which case many questions may offer themselves in a throng together which the afflicted party cannot well distinguish and thereupon is driven to darknesse and confusion of mind In this case the Pastor or prudent christian friend must observe some order beginning with the most perilous doubt that it may be first solved which doubt being answered in the first place let him fall upon the answering of the rest of the doubts in order As for example if the party be afflicted with tentations unto desperation let him be cleared and led by the hand to see and acknowledge a possibility of salvation by Christ and then a probability and appearance that it shall be by an argument taken from his present exercise which putteth an earand in his hand and so a warrand to go to Christ and so peece and peece let him be dealt with to accept the general offer of grace in Christ and to believe in him Now that such may be the exercise of the child of God appeareth Psal. 42. 7.
set to his seal to the truth of God without an hink or fear and suspicion of his right to apply the grace offered in which case so long as he doubts and doth not rest his sinfull soul on the Word of God offering grace to every soul sensible of sin who shall flye to Jesus Christ what wonder the holy Spirit doth with-hold the sealing of the mans faith For this is Gods order holden forth Ephes. 1. 13. that a sinner should first six his faith on Christ offered in the Gospel and after he hath believed not before he do believe wait for the sealing of the holy Spirit For removing this cause 1. let the afflicted acknowledge that his hesitation doubting and suspicion is justly chastised of God because he hath not firmly adhered to the covenant embraced by him and because he hath not given unto God the glory of his truth without a pawn and yet doth in effect quarrel and complain that he doth not find these consolations which are given and but rarely it may be even to the sound and strong in the faith 2. Let him for the confirmation of his faith hereafter consider well how strong and solid a foundation faith hath to lean unto even Gods promise and oath given unto all that do flye to Christ for refuge and relief from sin and misery Heb. â— 17 18. that the afflicted may with the Psalmist Ps. 56. 10. sing in God I will praise his Word 3. Let the afflicted study to be so fast glewed unto Christ in every condition and case he findeth himself and go about the exercise of repentance and faith and new obedience in his calling submitting himself to the will of God in every dispensation which direction if he shall aime to follow he shall not want the fruit of his faith and honest endeavour to please God for Psal. 97. 11. Light is sown for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart CHAP. XXI Wherein is solved the doubt of the true convert whether he be indeed converted because he cannot confidently apply to himself the promises of the Gospel THere are some true converts who albeit for fear of the wrath of God for their sins are already fled unto Christ and have hid themselves under the wings of the propitiatory in the shadow of the Almighty Mediator and are already begun in earnest to give new obedience to the law of God yet from time to time they fall in fear and trembling suspicion that all be not a sound work of grace in them and that partly because they cannot confidently apply to themselves the promises of the Gospel whether absolut such as are made to the Elect Ier. 31 31. or conditional such as are made to believers in Christ offered in the Gospel or qualified promises such as are made to the meek and mercifull Mat. 5. which qualified promises they look upon as conditional excluding them as they conceive who do not find in themselves such qualifications and partly because they are not clear about their right to receive the offer of the Gospel because they want as they conceive fitnesse in themselves to receive the same and thus are they oft-times vexed with doubts whether they be in the state of grace or not 2. For lousing of this doubt sundry things are already said by the way in answering other doubtfull cases But because many do meet with this difficulty we shall speak a little more particularly to the case and first it is needfull that the afflicted be confirmed about that which is right in him that the thing which remaineth and is ready to die may be strengthened To this intent we commend the afflicted that being sensible of sin and feared for-wrath he hath fled unto Christ for refuge next we commend him that he hath begun to give new obedience to Gods Law and doth purpose to follow on as he shall be enabled and thirdly we commend him that albeit he cannot attain that near conjunction with Christ which he would yet he neither will nor dare forsake Christ nor put himself out of the number of weak believers in Christ for he hath said in his heart with Peter Joh. 6. 68. To whom shall I go for Christ hath the words of eternal life Hitherto all is right and the afflicted must resolve to cleave close to this foundation because Christ hath said Ioh. 6. 37. These that come unto me I will in no case cast out 3. For his doubt arising from the nature of the promises absolute conditional and qualified looked upon by him as if they were conditional we answer 1. That these qualified promises having some mark in them of true believers are not exclusive of these believers who find in themselves a defect of the qualification but they are inductive unto all believers to study the attaining of that qualification and are corroborative of these believers who find in any sensible measure these qualifications For example promises made to the mercifull to the peace-makers to the upright in heart do not exclude these who find themselves short in these graces and yet are hungry and thirsty for righteousnesse yet are poor and indigent of all good in themselves and daily beggers at the throne of grace for what they want Mat. 5. for these qualifications sound in a weak believer are signes and effects of sound saith in them And we must grant that of these graces specified in these qualified promises some of them are more eminent in some of the Saints and other some of them more eminently seen and felt in other some of the Saints And in the same person one of these qualifications may sometime shine more clearly and at another time by some tentation or mistake be over-clouded and not shine so clearly as before yet the qualifications are comfortable to all them who find the same in themselves and are inductive to make every believer to aime to excell in these graces and so to confirm their own faith more and more as 2 Pet. 1. 4 5 6 7. we are exhorted Again these qualifications are signs of a believer already entered in the covenant of grace by faith in Christ and begun to bring forth good fruits but they are not the conditions of entering into the covenant for then none could enter in covenant till first these qualifications in exercise were sound in them and that were to dis-annull the covenant of grace and to set up a sort of covenant of works for there is not another condition of entering in the covenant but saith in Christ only whereby the humbled sinner renouncing all confidence in any good in himself or from himself doth betake himself wholly to the grace offered in Jesus Christ in whom perfect righteousnesse is to be found Now unto the man who shall believe in Christ all the promises of the Gospel are made upon this condition that he do believe in Jesus Christ which condition of faith in Christ when it is now performed and by the
think that all these who are charged for luke-warmnesse were regenerat yet we cannot judge that all the regenerat and true converts were free of this sicknesse when we see Christ professing his love to the luke-warm and out of love directing his reproof toward them whereby he doth invite them to repentance and to return to that sweet communion with himself which they did not follow after for the time And to make it appear that true converts might fall in this luke-warmnesse he giveth warning to all that have ears to hear to hearken unto what the Spirit doth speak unto the Churches As for remedy of this sicknesse this lethargy is hardly cured except the patient be first casten in a sever as it were by the wakening of his conscience To this end let the luke-warm consider with himself how the Majesty and excellent worth of Christ hath been flighted by this his luke-warmnesse wherein he hath by his fleshly security made no account of the spiritual riches of Christ who hath redeemed his own from sin and wrath everlasting that they may with full benâ—all of affâ—â—ction serve him 2. Let him consider how intolerable this disposition of luke-warmnesse is unto Christ who preferreth the open hostility of aliens to the luke-warm condition of those who professe for him and hath declared he will not comport with them but spew them out of his mouth except they shall speedily repent 3 Let him consider how many and sad plagues of heart he lyeth under if he examine himself well which may certifie him of the flame of Gods wrath ready to follow on the smoak of begun spiritual plagues 4. Let him be speedily humbled before the Lord for his vain gloriation of self-perfections and supposed need of nothing when indeed he is blind naked and miserable 5. Let him lay hold on Christs love and care of him in calling him to repentance before further wrath should break forth and take the offer of renewed and more intimate communion with him and injoying these precious promises laid up for the victorious wrestler against this sinfull disposition for this is the proper remedy which the great Physician prescribeth for healing this deadly sicknesse Rev. 3. 17 18. CHAP. VI. Concerning such converts as lean unto the props of carnal confidence and please themselves in this condition OFt-times it comes to passe that true converts while they conceive that they trust in Christ only are found to lean too much on their own worth and strength and graces bestowed on them In which condition by so much as they are well pleased with themselves they do in so far displease God and do provoke him to jealousie and they who are most overtaken with this sicknesse are most senslesse of it and are most malcontent that any man should suspect them to be in an evil condition yea and they conceive that no man is able to convince them of self-confidence and here they lye over till God bring them to tryall wherein their mistake is made clear unto them Their tryall ordinarily cometh by some affliction by some powerfull tentation and by some degree of felt deâ—ertion for this sicknesse as it is contracted by prosperity So it is fostered and hid by prosperity till the prop of their carnal confidence be shaken by unexpected adversity Of which purpose that we may speak the more clearly we shall point forth two sorts of this carnal confidence and shall shew the difference of those two sorts by the difference of these two pillars whereupon carnall confidence is upholden The one is the common benefits which God doth ordinarily bestow on good and bad renewed and unrenewed persons The other is some observable measure of the operations and fruits of the holy Spirit As for confidence in the common benefits of God sometimes true converts fall too much in love with earthly and temporal benefits do seek too much after them embrace them greedily when they obtain them rejoice too much while they injoy them fear too much to loss them and mean time do not perceive the excesse of their affection about them and if they be charged as in any measure guilty in this case they will not acknowledge their fault but go about to purge themselves of this sort of failing saying we know our duty that if riches increase we should not set our heart thereon that we should not love too much our own children parents parties friends and comfortable relations that we should not delight too much in prosperity nor glory in the common gifts and enduments of the mind wherein ungoldy men may excell and go far above us that we should not affect too much the favour of men or esteem too much of being honoured of men They will also readily confesse that they are not far from the danger of being drunk with prosperity and falling into the sleep of carnal security and leaning too much weight on this weak pillar of creature-confidence But for time by-past they are ready to averr they have been very cautious lest they should fall in this fault and for time to come that they hope to watch against all snares of this sort and so they think all is well but when it doth please God in his wise dispensation to change their outward condition and to turn their externall prosperity in adversity when God takes away the comfortable benefits which he had bestowed on them and brings upon them some sad calamity incontinent they are in the dumps and sit down astonished they begin to call Gods love in question whereof they boasted before Thus their faith discovereth its weaknesse and the mixture of carnal confidence with their faith doth clearly appear which before did lurk as drosse doth in the gold or silver before it be purified which doth give the masse a greater bulk without greater worth or price This infirmity and mistake the Psalmist did observe in himself Psal. 30. 6 7. In my prosperity I said I shall never be moved thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled This infirmity of the convert and his mistake shall be yet more manifest if we shall compare the confidence of the convert in the promises of God for food and rayment so long as God giveth riches with their confidence when their means do fail and poverty cometh on The promises of God remain the same in the having and wanting of riches but there is a great ods between their confidence to be furnished when they have riches and their confidence when means do fail which confidence now is very feeble Wherefrom doth this change come let us see Certainly it cometh from the removing of the carnal props of their confidence for when upon the failing of these props and pillars faith in the promise doth stagger it is a sure evidence that they have leaned too much weight on the means who mis-believe when the means do fail 3. For curing of this sort of carnal confidence and leaning too much on temporal benefits
and for ever but for a short time and that he keepeth love to them constantly albeit he do hide the tokens of his love sometime and dispose of the acts of his love as he seeth sit for the advantage of the work of grace in them Let him put difference between desertion and the gift of discerning of the desertion for albeit desertion be of it self a sad visitation yet the sight and observation of it testifieth Gods presence with his child giving eye-salve and light and thereby doth not only teach that wound to be curable but also that the Physician is begun the cure of it by pancing and lancing the wound 3. Let him not count it a desertion when God in any service whereunto he puts his child emptieth him of all conceit of his own ability that he may open his mouth wyd and be filled for this emptying of the convert is the very fitting of him for fresh supply from Christ to go about the service in Christs strength and furniture which the Apostle felt by experience 2 Cor. 12. 10. When I am weak saith he then I am strong Poverty of spirit and hunger and thrist for righteousnesse are not to be counted desertions 4. Let him observe the degrees of Gods presence no lesse then the degrees of his absence as the Psalmist did when he recollected himself Ps. 73. 23. after the tentation which troubled him was overcome Neverthelesse I am continually with thee Thou holdest me by thy right hand and ver 26. my flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever 5. Let him put a right construction upon Gods dispensation believing alwayes that God doth what he doth for good to his afflicted subject whether he draw forth by his desertion the latent-corruption of the heart as he did to Ezekiah 2 Chron. 32. 31. or whether to prevent out-breaking of corruption as he did to the Apostle 2 Cor. 12. 7. 8 9. or whether to exercise his faith love and patience and to sharpen his prayer as he did to the Psalmist frequently And therefore let him in the observation of whatsoever degree of desertion humble himself before God flye in more closely unto Christ and patiently wait upon the change of his conditon in the use of the means and following the duties of his calling as the Lord shall enable him for this is the counsell of the Lord Isa. 50. 10. Who is he among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his servont that walketh in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God And this much sufficeth for instances of the third sort of the converts mistaking his condition CHAP. XXVIII Concerning cases wherein the convert is in doubt what to determine about his condition IT resteth that we speak of the fourth sort of cases of the conscience of the convert wherein he is at a stand and in doubt what to determine of his present condition 2. In these doubtfull cases the convert is not properly deceived as in the former ranks of cases it is presupposed of him because in this sort of cases the convert doth not positively determine the question wherein he is fallen but standeth in doubt what to resolve upon 3. Cases of this sort pertain to the mind and judgement of the convert and if his judgment be cleared by loosing of the question incontinent he is satisfied and quiet 4. It is necessar for the converts clearing that he form the question rightly and to this end 1. let him consider his case and condition in himself so accuratly as he can 2. Let him ingenuously lay forth the question or doubt he hath before his Pastor or Christian friend acquainted with cases of conscience and ask their judgement what to think of or what to do in such a case The reason why he must examine narrowly his own condition before he speak of it to another is partly because otherwayes his doubt or question may prove frivolous and unworthy of an answer partly because the convert after examination of his case and prayer unto God may find satisfaction to his doubt and partly because if his doubt remain the question may be the more clearly propounded and so receive the more clear and speedy answer for his satisfaction 5. Of this sort of questions we shall propound some examples and give some resolution unto them whereof use may be made when such like questions shall occur The first question shall be concerning confusion of mind IT cometh to passe sometime when a convert is upon examination of his own estate or condition that such a mist and darknesse falleth on his mind and such a croud and throng of thoughts within him that he can discern nothing but mist multitude of thoughts and darknesse and confusion The question is what shall he think or do for removing of this confusion of thoughts and darknesse of mind Ans. This case befalleth converts frequently and therefore had need to be the more carefully cured Which cure that it may the better go on let the afflicted renew the examination of his former behaviour and see if he can find out the meritorious cause thereof in himself for this case oft-times is the castigation of the afflicted for his former negligence and omission of duties or slight discharge of religious worship yea it may be found possibly that the afflicted hath been so carelesse in keeping his heart in the fear of God that he hath involved himself too far in earthly and thorny affairs or hath exceeded in the use of things lawfull or by some corrupt communication hath grieved the Lords spirit and so hath drawn on some desertion and with-drawing of illumination from him 2. This case may also fall out from some present perturbation of mind and passion whereby his reason is so taken up for the time that it cannot discharge its duty as cometh to passe usually in anger or fear or grief or some such like passion as may be seen when a man is injured by his neighbour or doth meet with some damnage or is put in fear of some imminent evil coming on him or findeth sharp pains of body or some such like cause perplexing him The question is what shall he think of this condition Ans. If the afflicted shall examine how he is fallen in this case and shall in consideration of his weaknesse be humbled before God by prayer he shall not want clearnesse of mind and directions from God what to do and how to behave himself in ordering of his conversation aright Ps. 50. 23. for the Lord gives wisdom liberally to all that ask it of him in faith Iam. 1. 5. and this his present condition giveth him an errand to God The second question is concerning the convert who most part walketh heavily THere are some true converts who after examination of themselves cannot deny but their heart is toward the wayes of God
renew accusations against them and so order that mater as neither Sathan shall prevail nor his child suffer damnâ—ge by the means for there is a great difference between Sathans renewing of accusations for sins forgiven and Gods making null the remission granted the Lord can suffer the one to be but the other he will never suffer to be for when a true convert groweth negligent and falleth in such sins after conversion as he lived in before conversion no wonder Sathan be permitted to call his former conversion in question yea the Lord may justly cast up to his child his former faults to humble him and shame him from going on albeit he doth not disannull the formerly granted remission 3 When thanksgiving for remission of sin granted for Christs cause beginneth to cool in the heart of a convert what wonder the Lord not only suffer but also present the vilenâ—ssâ— of by past sins to make the convert sensible of the remission and to cause him renew the acts of repentance and godly sorrow for his sins by-past as Ezek. 16. 63. and 36. 32. Then shall you remember your own evil wayes and your doings which were not good and shall loath your selves for your iniquities and abominations When the convert â—roweth remisse in watching over his own heart wayes and is in danger of falling back into these sins which he had repented of before what wonder the Lord by remembring him of his natural inclination and former wayes do warn him of his danger to make him preveen his fall 4. Wherefore let the convert maintain the solidity of former remission of sins and make good use of his former sins which went before his conversion and let him follow the example of Paul who did not suffer his former siâ—s go out of his mind but did renew the confession of them upon all occasions for his own daily humiliation for the edification of others and for magnifying the glory of the grace of God and yet for all this did not suspect the remission of sins received For by this means the convert shall preveen accusations and stop Sathans mouth and make his accusations have no force By this means the convert shall possesse firm and stable confidence of Gods unchangeable grace and mercy and of the stability of the remission of sin granted The sixth question is of a convert casten not only in an uncertainty for the time of his conversion but also in a doubt whether he be elected or not and knows not how to do in this case SOme converts fall in Heman the Ezrait his exercise whereof we read Ps. 88. especially ver 14. 15 While I suffer thy terrors I am distracted saith he Counsell hath been offered by some to the afflicted to follow the practice and experience of some eminent Theologues who being brought to such straits with good successe have submitted themselves to God to save them or destroy them as he pleased after which submission they have felt the marvellous sweet embracements of Gods loving kindnesse making them sure both of their conversion and election Whether to follow this example and experience of some notable Saints is the doubt wherein the convert is not clear and knoweth nor how to carry himself toward God in this case 2. For answer to this question It is free for God to comfort a soul casten down when and how he pleaseth it is free for God to passe by the infirmity and error of a terrified soul coming to him not in the wisest way prescribed to him and to look to the necessity of the mans consolation and not to his way of seeking of it But howsoever it pleaseth God to comfort some extraordinarily yet this is not the duty of the afflicted to come with such an unrequired submission unto God for it limiteth the Lord in a manner either to comfort the man speedily or suffâ—r him upon apparent refusal for the time to dispair For Gods order is to bring the sinner under the sense of sin and acknowledgment of deserved wrath for sin and then to charge him to believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and after believing in Christ to seal the believer with the stamp of holinesse and the earnest-penny of the inheritance which is peace with God and joy in the holy Ghost shed abroad in his heart 3. Wherefore as for the conversion of a man straitned in the pains of the new birth and fear of everlasting wrath and tempted to suspect that he is not elected It is a more safe way to lay aside all disputation about Gods decree because secret things belong to the Lord and to look to the Lords command and to his own duty of flying unto Christ So for the recovery of a convert fallen in Ionahs case and made to suspect that he is a reprobat cast off of God it is a more safe way not to dispute for the time either his election or conversion whatsoever suggestions may be cast in by Sathan then to offer unto God an absolute submission to be saved or destroyed as he pleaseth and then to lye in sorrow till God give an answer of consolation for God doth not require such a submission but calleth for an act of faith and obedience for God hath declared in his Word that he delighteth not in the death of a sinner but that he should repent and turn to God and be saved Secondly in this submission the heart will be found deceitfull which neither will nor can submit to be destroyed Thirdly this offer of such a submission as this is Lord I know not whether thou hast chosen me or rejected me in thy decree but I submit my self to thee absolutely If thou wilt destroy me thou shalt be found to be just and I do confesse so much unto thee but if thou wilt save me I shall proclame thy grace such a submission I say is but in effect a tempting of God speedily to reveal his secret counsel either by consolation if the submitter be an elect or refusal of consolation if he be a reprobat The only safe way in the foresaid case is to be humbled before God and flye to Christ by prayer as Heman did Ps. 88. and as Ionah did who choosed to look again to his holy Temple where the Mediator sat upon the mercy seat between the cherubims and not suffer such a thought as reprobation Thus did Heman Ps. 88. 13 14. But unto thee have I cryed O Lord and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee Lord why castest thou off my soul why bidest thou thy face from me Let the command of God to every self-condemned sinner to believe in Christ prevail against all temptations to the contrair 1 Ioh. 3. 23. This is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Iesus Christ. The seventh question is how to satisfie the convert doubting whether it be bâ—tter to forbear or go on in the outward exercise of religion at least in
five qualifications were common operations of the spirit or effects of saving faith not as yet manifested to be such before the person did close covenant with God in Christ for not imputing his sins unto him and making solid reconciliation with him 3. As for judging of others when we observe these qualifications all or some of them we must not determine positively what sort of operation the holy Ghost hath in hand but our part is according to our place and calling to help on the least preparatory qualifications which may serve to be inductive and serviceable to beget and foster saving faith in them even when the sense of sin and unworthinesse is like to drive them from Christ as it did Peter when he cryed out unto Christ Depart from me O Lord for I am a sinfull man For God hath not made us Judges of the operations of the holy Ghost in this or that person but to be their helpers unto faith when we perceive any good qualification in them and helpers of their repentance when we perceive any out-breaking evil in them The eleventh question shall be of the converts doubting what to think of his condition when he finds more freedom of prayer in the presence and audience of others then when he prayeth in secret alone IT is not a case unusual that some converts do find a great deal of freedom of prayer in the audience of others more then alone for they have experience that when they pray in the audience of others in their family or occasionally elsewhere their prayer is more copious then when they are alone their stile of speech more polished their words in better order their expressions more significant their notions more sublime more fervent more zealous then when they are in secret in their closet which difference when they consider they doubt what the matter doth mean 2. For answer first there is a difference to be put between solitary prayer in secret and prayer in society with others for in secret oft-times the converts worship is carried on in the sense of his sinfulnesse unworthiness and indisposition presented to God through Christ with sighs and confused groans without words for he studieth most for affection and not for words having no ear to care for but the ear of the searcher of hearts who knoweth his weaknesse fears tentations and wrestling with doubts But in company he studieth most to make use of knowledge and to expresse himself so as he may carry along the company with whom he prayeth with consent that he may edifie himself and them in worship and in this case he may find greater fredom possibly then he findeth alone in secret Secondly it is oft-times found that God for his own glory and the mutual edification of two or three gathered together in his name doth inlarge the freedom of speech in the speaker Upon which considerations the doubting convert may satisfie himself only let him beware least vain glory or studying to have the applause of such as hear him pray do not blow wind in his sails and in as far as after examination he findeth himself guilty let him when he is in secret alone be humbled before God for it and crave pardon through Christ seeking help and healing of this wicked inclination The twelfth question shall be of the doubt which the convert may have in a case contrary to the former SOme converts do find themselves more inlarged in secret prayer and alone then in the company of one or moe In company saith he I cannot utter my own privat condition without a needlesse and inconvenient discovery of my present case to others and I can hardly conjecture what may be their necessity with whom I pray or condescend upon petitions and thanksgiving fit for us in common I am taken up also with thoughts of what estimation my hearers may have of me c. But in secret prayer I am freed of that care I am not feared that God shall mis-construe my words or thoughts I may in secret make a long pause in my petitions and fall in meditation upon some passage of Scripture and after a while direct my speech unto the Lord I may expresse my affections by voice and gesture as they fall out and pour forth my heart to God with tears without fear of being esteemed an hypocrit c. Mean time I doubt what my indisposition to pray in company doth import when duty calleth for it 2. For answer we grant that God to some of his dear Saints whose prayers in secret he will accept and reward openly hath not given ability to edifie others by way of praying in their audience to others in regard of age of sexe to whom modesty and silence is most suitable he hath not given confidence to pray in name of others whether moe or fewer as their mouth But as for these to whom God hath given ability and a calling by reason of a charge in the family or some occasional exigence to pray in the audience of others and yet notwithstanding they do foster their natural aversenesse from such a duty they had need to examine themselves whether they be hindered by fear to loss some of their estimation at the hands of the hearers if possibly all things should not be found so well digested and expressed in the prayer as they would The thirteenth question shall be of the converts doubting what to think when he compareth his disposition to prayer and Gods dispensation toward him in prayer SUndry converts when they compare their own divers dispositions to prayer with the divers dispensations of God toward them in prayer they are at a stand what to think Sometime saith one albeit I be very hardly drawn to pray at all yet when after wrestling the conscience of the duty doth set me on work my prayer goeth on as I could wish light is furnished to me what to confesse what to thank for what to seek both for my self and others whereby I gather for the time that the Lord is pleased with my person in Christ and hath accepted my prayer Sometime it fareth otherwayes with me for when time place and leisure for prayer concur and I am now about to make use of opportunity and do fall down before the Lord to speak on a suddain I have nothing to say matter words and light do fail me darknesse and confusion falleth on my mind and my prayer suudry times is stopped and closeth with a sigh or groan which dispositions of my heart and dispensations of the Lord when I compare I am in doubt what to think 2. For answer in the first case concerning the Lords blessing of the aiming at duty the matter is clear and speaks for it self for God will have us to aim at a right frame of spirit when we are about the discharge of any part of his worship but not forbear to do the duty if we cannot reach that fitnesse of spirit which we desire let us
let the convert thus mistaken after his experience felt that he hath been carnally confident not be discouraged as if his confidence which he seemed to have placed on God were altogether vain and in no degree spiritual but let him first be humbled before God and submit himself to the Lords rod let him acknowledge the wisdom justice and mercy of God who hath removed this prop of carnal confidence and reduced him from going astray to depend more on God then he hath done 2. Let him strengthen his faith in Christ according to the renor of the covenant of Grace and that so much the more as he finds his own unrighteousnesse in following and relying on creature-comforts to have been great 3. Let him set his affections upon things spiritual which are above the earth and to be found in Jesus Christ who is at the right hand of the Father Col. 3. 1. 23. and to loose his estimation and affection from these things that are on earth 4. Because this sicknesse is not well observed except in the time of adversity let the afflicted person approvâ— himself in the point of sincerity of adherence unto God by his trusting in God now when he wanteth means and creature-comforts as Iob did who in this condition blessed God for the giving of the benefits and blessed God at the removing of them from him Iob. 1. 21. For by so doing he shall learn both to have and want and in every condition to be content as the Apostle was taught Phil 4. 12. and this is for the first sort of carnal confidence The other sort of carnal confidence is that which too much leaneth to some apparent measure of the operation and fruits of the holy Spirit observed by the convert in himself and this sicknesse may be taken up and perceived chiefly by comparison of the converts stronger confidence of the love of God toward him so long as he can find evidencâ— signes of his regeneration and work of the holy Spirit 〈◊〉 himself with â—is weaker confidence of the love of God toward him under the cloud of descrtion or under some powerfull temptation when these evident signes of his conversion are darkened or do not appear so clearly unto himself as they did 〈◊〉 In which case his confidence is greatly weakned and his faith not a little shaken with doubting In both the one and the other condition the câ—venant of Grace standeth fixed and the promises of the Gospel remain the same and the convert still adhereth to the covenant and claimeth interest in Christ more or lesse confident Whence cometh then this difference between his former confidence which was strong and his weaker confidence now in the change of his case being brought low Certainly it proceedeth from the smiting of the pillar whereupon his former confidence was too much fixed for whensoever the mist is cleared up and he findeth the livelynesse of the work of grace in himself his confidence convalesceth and returns to it 's former strength as it seemeth to him and when his graces are darkened he falleth in a languishing weaknesse of faith This sicknesse is so frequently incident to the Saints that few shall be found who are not again and again overtaken in it for how few are they who are not much more confident when they find a heart freely poured forth in prayer when they injoy the peace of God in their heart when the love of God is shed abroad in their heart when they find the consolations of the holy Spirit when they observe the â—ruits of the holy Spirit in themselves when the candle of the Lord shineth in their soul and the tokens of Gods savour toward them are manifest and on the other hand when they find their spiritual condition changed when darknesse falleth on their spirit when they find themselves unfit for worship and unable to do service but most of all when they perceive tokens of fatherly wrath against them super-added unto the foresaid evils in this case who is he that beside the inevitable perturbation of mind incident to those who are strongest in faith doth not find a diminution of his former confidence and a conflict with temptations fears doubts and difficulties which diminution and abating of his confidence in his tryals and inward exercises doth evidently prove that in his best condition he hath laid too much weight upon on the mutable disposition of his soul and hath not so stucken to the Word of Gods grace through Jesus as became him 2. That this sicknesse may be the more easily cleared and cured it is expedient to answer some questions which being discussed may inform and edifie the afflicted Question 1. THe first question which the afflicted may propound is this Seing the signes of Gods favour manifested in the bestowing and continuing of common benefits and gifts outward and inward do certainly serve to confirm a mans faith in God is it not very reasonable to say that the signes of Gods wrath manifested in the removing of those benefits do certainly serve to debilitat and weaken a mans faith Ans. 1. Signs of Gods favour and signs of Gods wrath are not inconsistent because God can carry love and favour to a man and be angry at him also for the present ill disposition wherein he is for love and fatherly wrath are not opposit and inconsistent but love and hatred are inconsistent 2. Let it be granted that any signes whatsoever of Gods favour may be made use of by the convert for strengthening of his faith yet it must not be granted that the taking away of those signes of favour should be made use of for weakening of a mans faith For many things may encourage a man to do his duty which being removed must not discourage him or justly hinder him to do his duty 3. There is a great difference between the man who never found any other sign of Gods favour beside prosperity in common benefits and the man who beside common benefits hath felt a work of grace upon his spirit bringing him unto the sense of sin and chasing him to Christ and making him to take on his yoke The first sort of men can neither from the having nor wanting or removal of common benefits conclude eh is loved or hated for so are we taught Eccles. 9. 1 2 No man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before him all things come alike to all c. But a man of this sort hath reason to judge that the sending on him adversity and wakening of him out of a flâ—shly and deadly security doth speak more of Gods favour to him then his prosperity did And this other sort of men who have felt a work of special grace on their hearts may make use both of their prosperity and adversity for confirmation of their faith 4. Put case that a convert chased unto Christ in the sense of his sin and resolved to bear Christs yoke upon him shall find common benefits taken back
from him in fatherly wrath yet must he not yield to the weakening of his faith but rather yet more humble himself in the sense of his sins which have stirred up wrath against him and flye in to Christ and lay hold more closely upon his grace because God being offended is not pacified nor pleased save only by flying in tâ— Jesus Christ. Quest. II. Q. But what will you say unto them whose confidence is weakened whether they will or not whensoever they apprehend God angry against them and especially when they feel that God being provoked justly removeth gifts and benefits comfortable from them Ans. It is not to be doubted that the confidence of many true converts is shaken and weakened in this case but the question is what shall be said unto them We answer that they must acknowledge that they have leaned too much upon these carnal props the failing whereof maketh them to fall 2. Let them be humbled yet more because of such sins as have provoked God to change his dispensation toward them 3. Let them lean more upon the only rock of free grace in Jesus Christ offered in the Gospel for the comfort and relief of all those who in the sense of sin and unworthinesse in the sense of their ill deserving and of any measure of apparent fatherly wrath that hereafter however it fair with them they may rely upon Jesus Christ who is the only foundation to build our selves upon and whose grace is sufficient to help and uphold them who have their recourse unto him in every condition whether it be adversity or prosperity Quest. III. Q. ALbeit common benefits are not sufficient evidences of Gods favour yet new obedience of faith and fruits of the spirit are sure signes of Gods special favour bestowed only on the Elect Seing then as these signes when they are present serve much for the strengthening of faith so also when they are amissing have as great force of reason to debilitat faith yea seing faith without fruits is dead may it not be concluded where no fruits are no faith is Ans. If the question be of the universal want of all fruits of faith such as is to be found in all unrenewed men whose fruit cannot be good so long as the tree is evil whose seeming service cannot be acceptable so long as they remain unreconciled to God through Christ let the question be yielded unto But we are speaking of the true convert in whom there is a missing of the measure of formerly felt fruits and that in the time present wherein by some temptation or tryal their faith is sifted and winnowed And here indeed there is a vast difference between them that were never humbled in the sense of their sins nor led for relief from sin and misery unto Jesus Christ and the true convert who hath renounced the works of darknesse and hath fled unto Christ and consecrated himself to his service and who is set upon a new course of life hath brought forth new fruits of repentance faith love and hope and hath felt consolation in this course and now under exercise of conscience looketh upon himself as barren ground doth lament his impotency to bring forth good fruits and while he is under this exercise liveth in a sad condition blamelesse and free of scandal-giving great ods between this man and a man yet in nature We grant in the unrenewed man who is a stranger to the life of grace and true godlinesse the sentence holds No fruits no faith but as for the convert who hath had comfort in Christ and brought forth good fruits in some measure he must not reason from his present dead condition felt and lamented barrennesse to the denying of true faith in Christ or to the weakening of his saith or marring his confidence further then to acknowledge he hath leaned too much on his formerly felt fruits and hath not grounded himself wholly on Christ and the rock of free grace in him but may and should maintain his faith in Christ against his discouragment that he may be inabled to bring forth more ripe and aboundant fruits Quest. IV. Q. BUt what shall be said to humbled converts who looking to the holy Law of God and finding no fruits such as should be do passe sentence in the time of tentation upon all their works as unworthy of the name of the fruits of the Spirit and then do dispute against their own faith by the Apostles words Iam. 2. 20. faith without works is dead Ans. If the conscience do pronounce according to the truth as the mater is indeed it cannot be denied but faith without works is dead and God is greater then the conscience and knoweth all things But when the conscience is misled by a tentation powerfully pressed in by Sathan in the time of some sad affliction and appearance of Gods displeasure the testimony of the conscience is not a sufficient proof to infer so hard a conclusion for it cometh to passe oft-times that the convert who liveth blamelesly and entertaineth the love and purpose of well-doing in his heart followeth the exercises of religion constantly is not negligent in his calling and is ready upon occasion offered to let forth the fruits of love to his neighbour for all this sometimes walketh in darknesse and under desertion seeth no light as Isaiah 50. 10. In this case it may be he set all his works at nought as no wayes answerable to the Lords Law I see nothing saith he but sin in me I see no fruit of true faith in me I feel no operation of the holy Spirit in me save the work of convincing me of sin and unrighteousnesse In this case we must not give credit to the afflicted but convince him rather of his error and in special of his leaning too much weight on his works before this sad exercise fell upon him for when a convert maintaineth his faith in Christ only so oft and so long as he findeth in himself the fruits of new obedience but when he hath new experience of the power of the body of death and findeth the course of good behaviour and bringing forth good fruits to be interrupted in himself incontinent he resiles from his confidence such a man certainly giveth evidence that he hath relyed too much on his former felt righteousnesse an himself for he doth as if he durst not for sin approach unto Christ and so he falleth in Peters case who looking on his own sinfulnesse and the brightnesse of Christs Godhead shining in a recent miracle cryeth out Luke 5. 8. depart from me O Lord I am a sinfull man for Peter in this case did forget Christs mediatory office and that he stood so much the more need of Christs drawing near to him as he was a man convinced of sinfulnesse Another answer we give to this question the afflicted person must not think that he wants altogether the fruits of faith albeit he find them to be short of the